Sunday, September 19, 2010

Continued advice to job opening companies

I did not 'screen capture' the e-mail below because the typeface and size of font were so small, even I had to squint with bright lights on to read it. Here is a little advice to start with when trying to communicate with potential job applicants: use a font size and style which is easy to read for the vast majority of applicants.

Here's the text of the e-mail (personal info about me and the name of the job posting site have been removed):

From the Desk of Raaa Baaaaa, President of Sales and Marketing, (name of company), Inc.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

metalhead39123 Main St

Anywhere, California (they did not add a Zip Code. My first clue that the site was created by someone outside of the U.S or Canada)

Hello metalhead39,

I am sending you this letter because you are a highly qualified Customer Service professional with over 17 years experience who may be currently seeking a better job opportunity. I'd like to introduce you to (company name and link to their site). I'm sure you realize a resume that matches your skills to the requirements of a job is one of the main keys to getting hired. Writing a resume is very stressful and time consuming. Writing a resume that contains all the right elements for each job application can be virtually impossible for even the most qualified job candidate.

(uh, resume writing is not rocket science. Any job seeker in the last 10 years can write a resume with career/industry specific language)

I'm sure you already know that the first person to read your resume will not be a person.

I'm sure you know that the Recruiting Software logic of an Applicant Ranking and Tracking System (ATS) program must approve your resume before a real person will ever read your resume.

I'm sure you realize that if your resume is rejected by the ATS program, it will never be read by a hiring manager.

Yes! One word will make a difference. You can be one word short of a better job. You can be one word short of a better paying job. You can be one word short of a more fulfilling job.

(so far, the awkward grammar and repetition of subject/predicate tells me I'm not talking to a person who is fluent in American English)

The days of the one-size-fits-all resume are gone. If you are seriously seeking employment, you must update your resume for each job you apply for. (grammar police alert!) You have undoubtedly noticed that the posted job requirements for your position have become much longer and much more detailed. (they have not) Human Resource Department personnel and Hiring Managers use ATS programs to eliminate applicants with resumes that are not an exact match to a job description.

Finding the correct combination keywords, action verbs, and objective phrases for the job you are seeking is too often like searching for a needle in a stack of needles. (nice attempt at tweaking a metaphor, but the metaphor does not need tweaking)

Obviously every word in a job description is not a keyword. Blindly injecting every industry term from a job description into your resume may get you past the ATS program. But it will not get past the first real person to read your resume. Overloading a resume with too many buzzwords and too much industry jargon is a sure way to land your resume in the wastebasket.

Recruiters, consultants and advisors tell you to search the web and employer job postings sites. Manually researching all the job posting sites for each job you apply for is very impractical. It is a total waste of time if the employer is no longer accepting applications by the time you complete your research. (in my experience, if the employer is not taking applications, the link to the job posting disappears and the job seeker is told as much) (Our company) has already done this for you.

It is clear that having a tool to assist you to get the right job is a major investment in your career. If you are currently seeking a new or better job (our company) is the tool you need. (yes, the comma between 'job' and the company's name was missing).

Metalhead39, I have read your resume. Your qualifications for a better position are very impressive. However, your skill set does not include professional resume writer. (aww. I'm hurt. 99.5% of job seekers don't write resumes for a living; however, when one's mortgage, food and sundries money is on the line, one becomes fairly prolific and prosaic pretty quickly). You can spend hours and even entire days writing and updating a resume for a job application. However, if your resume does not contain what the screening software logic wants, you will not be considered a candidate for the position.

Visit our website (link to the website) to see how (the company's name) will help you get the job you deserve and why (the company's name) is the Must Have Tool for Job Seekers in the Digital Age. (where do I start with grammar and punctuation rules on this one?)

You Have the Skills to Do the Job!You Need a Tool to Get the Job!

Sincerely,

Raaa BaaaaaPresident of Sales and Marketing(the company name)

(the company) has a strict NO SPAM policy. (perhaps they mean the spiced, canned ham popular in Hawaii?)You have received this e-mail because you signed up at our website or posted your resume with an affiliated job seeker assistance service.If you no longer wish to receive future newsletters or emails from (the company), click on the Unsubscribe link below.Unsubscribe

So, they can't abbreviate California, but the Postal Abbreviation for Florida is readily available along with a PO Box? If you want to view this company's website, the address starts with 'www.', then starts with 'resume' and ends with a word rhyming with 'rapper' which could be synonymous with a cartographer. Ooh, and don't forget the ".com" at the end. If there was any doubt of the legitimacy of this site, a visit to it without me typing in any of my info ground the doubt into the dust. I could not find any individual person's name or photo anywhere in the site. The photos used are photos that are 'stock photos' one can purchase on-line and use in one's website. Though the service costs $49.00 (not bad for this type of service), my bet is that no one ever just gets $49 taken from them.

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You are a Reality-Based Intellectualist, also known as the liberal elite. You are a proud member of what’s known as the reality-based community, where science, reason, and non-Jesus-based thought reign supreme.